Steering-gear.



A. A. WAITE.

STEERING GEAR.

'APPLIGATION FILED 111,131.24, 1911.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M A SH01/nut@ A. 'A. WAITE.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED M1114, 1911.

Patented Nov, 5, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 24 A. A. WAITB.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLIGATION FILED Arum, 1911.

Pafntedl Nov. 5,-1912.

3 SHEETS--SHBBT 3.

ALPHA A WAITE, or LA HARPE, KANSAS.

STEERING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

f Application mea April 24, 1911. serial No'. 622,966.

Patented Nov." 5, 1912.

wTo all whom 'it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ALPHA AJ WArra, a citizen of the United States, residing at- La Harpe, in the county of Allen and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

This Vinvent-ion relates to that class of plows which are self-propelled, a plow car riage being provided which is driven by 'a motor, preferably an' internal combustion engine; and it is the object of the present invention to provide ina machine of this kind an improved steering gear provided with a lock therefor.

' The invention is also applicable to other self-propelled vehicles.

In order that the invention may be better 'underst-ood,'re'ference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification in which drawings,-

` Figure 1 is a planview of the machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a Y face view -of the steering-gear loc-k; Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in another position; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a horizont-a1 section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 1

denotes the side bars of the chais of a plow carriage having steering wheels 2at the front, and tract-ion wheels 3 and 4, respectively, at the rear, the wheel 3 being on the furrow'side, and the wheel 4 on the land side. The steering wheels are carried by stub axles 5 which are pivotally connected to t-he front axle 6, and between the latter and the chassis are interposed elliptic springs 7i On' thev chassis, near its front end, lis

mounted amotor 8 which ma be an ordi-4 nary`internal-combustion engine obtaining its fuel supply. from a tank 9. The crank shaft 10 ofthe engine is connected by bevel gears 11 to a driving `shaft 12 extending transversely of the carriage and mounted in' suitable 'bearings carried b`y the side bars 1. A suitable transmission gearing is provided, the same'being inclosed in a case 13.` A clutch 14 is also provided, the'samebeing` operated by aifoot pedal 15.

On each end oft-he driving shaft 124 are mounted two ratchet clutch-members 16 and 17, respectively, between which members is wheel 18 on one side of the machine is connectedby a sprocket chain 21 to a sprocket wheel 22 connected to the traction wheel on 'the correspondmg side of the machine, and the sprocket wheel 18 on the other side of the machine is geared in like manner to the traction wheel on that side of the machine.

The sprocket wheels 18 are adjustable so Aas to `br1ng their clutch-teeth 19 into locking engagement with the teeth of the clutchmembers 16, and their clutch-.teeth 20 into engagement with the clutch-members 17. The sprocket wheels are loose on the shaft so that no motion is transmitted when they are disconnected from the clutch-members. The clutch-members 16 are designed to drive the sprocket wheels forwardly when the shaft 1s turning in that direction, and the clutch-lnembers 17 drive the sprocket wheels in a reverse direction when the shaft is rei versed. .Suit-able guides 23 for the chains 21 are provlded. The extremitiesof the driving shaft 12 are' supported in brackets 24 carrled by the side bars 1. 4

By the herein described driving means, the machine can be run forward or back, and as the driving means of the two traction wheels are independent, either one of said wheels may be thrown out of gear when making turns. Foot pedals 25 are provided for shifting the sprocket wheels 18.

The stub axles 5 carry disks 26 having grooved peripheries to receive' a steering chain 27. The chain passes around the disks, and extends inwardly to a shaft 28 on.4

which it is wound in such a man-ner that when the shaft is rotated, the stub axles are swung on their pivots, thereby shifting the 'front wheels 2 to steer the machine. rlhe disks 26 are also connected .by a cross rod 29.

A hand, as well as a power, steeringr gear .is provided. This mechanism comprises the following instrumentalities: Connected to the driving shaft/"'12, so as to rotate therewith, are two frictio disks 3() between which is located a fric "pn wheel 3ly which latter is adjustable so that it maybe placed in contact with'either one of said disks according to the direction it is desired to steel `the machine. The friction wheel is mounted on a shaft 32 supported at one end in a bearing sleeve 33 which loosely encircles the shift 12 between the disks 30. .The other end of the shaft is supported by a hand lever, 34 which, when swung to one side or the other, shifts the shaft 32, and plac'es the wheel in engagement with 011eor the other of the, friction disks. The friction wheel is normally disengaged from both disks, it being held in this position .by springs 35 :inter` posed between said disks and the sleeve 33.

On the shaft 32 is made fast a sprocket wheel'36 which is connected by a chain 37 v to a sprocket Wheel 38 on a shaft 39 connected to the winding shaft 28 in a manner to be presently described. The manual steering device is a'hand wheel 40 carrled l by a shaft 41 which is geared to the shaft action takes place when 'the shaft 39 is operated by hand from the steering wheel 40. The following means are provided for locking the steering gear: To a bracket 43 carried by the side bars 1 is secured a disk Y 44 having an outstanding annular flange 45 at its periphery, the innersurface of Awhich flange is. formed with teeth 46 to form a circular rack. This flange incloses a disk- 47 having-a'hub 48 extending into acentral opening 4in the disk 44. The shaft 28 eX.- tends into this hub and'is made fast therein .by a key or other suitable device 49, the diskl 47 being theebyfconnected to the shaft 28. To the face of the disk 47 are secured, at

diametrically opposite points, guides 50 under which work the endsI of a cross bar. 51 carried by the shaft 39, said cross bar belng n made fast to the shaft by any suitable means. Behind -this cross bar are located latches which are adapted to engage the teeth 46, the latter thus serving as a latch keeper. Each of these latches comprises a sliding' bolt 52 Workingv under` a guide 53 carried by the v,disk 47, said bolt extending radially and being adapted to engage the teeth 46 when moved outwardly. The inner end of the bolt has two arms 54 which extend beneath the 'cross bar 51 on opposite sides of the-shaft 39, the extremities of said arms terminating in upward bends 55 adapted to enga-ge one edge ofthe cross bar. The other edge of thecross bar is engaged by the arms of the other sliding bolt, the two sliding bolts being located diametrically opposite each other. The bolt also has a lon-.

gitudinal slot 56 through which extends a lug 57 on the disk 47, said lug carrying a pin 58 which is engaged by one end of a coiled spring 59, the other end of which spring is connected to a lug 60 on: the bolt.

.shown in -ig.,3, and said shaft, aswell as the shaft 28, are thus locked. Thebent extremities of the arms 54 areV in contact with the opposite edges -of the, cross bar 51. When the shaft 39 starts to rotate, the cross bar 51 1 rotates vwith it, in-thejsame direction, this movement of the cross bar continuin until it is stopped by the ends ofthe gui es 50, said 'des thus serving as stops for limiting t e swing of the cross b ar. -The cross 1 bar, by reason of its engagement with the bends of the bolt arms 54, withdraws the Abolts from the teeth`46, thus unlockin the disk 47 -which now starts to turn wi the shaft 39, the motion of said shaft being com- 1 municated to the disk by the engagement of thefarms with theends'of the des 50. Inasmuch as the shaft 28 is keye or otherwise 4 made fast to the disk 47 said shaft rotates with the disk,4 and the steering chain 57 is's now operated. The herein described release of the bolts takes place irrespective Vof the direction in which the shaft 39 is rotated. Fig. 3 shows the bolts in`release position. As soon as the shaft'39 is thrown out of i gear, the cross bar 51. swings back to its normal position, whereupon the` bolts 52 are,A advanced by the springs 5 8 to .again engage the teeth 46, and thus lock the steering gear.. The shaft 39 is.'in two sections which are-1 connected by a universal joint' 61'..

Iclaim: -jl. The combination with a'steering shaftv rotatable about its axis, said shaft being in sections;of a stationary latch'keeper, latches l adapted to engage said keeper, a support for said latches carried by one of the shaft sections, and a loose connection between the support andV the other shaft section, said connection operating during'. its mitial l movement to release thev latches.

2. The combination with a steering shaft, said shaft being in-sections; of a stationary latch "keeper, latches engageable with said keeper, a support for the latches carried by 1 one of the shaft sections, a cross bar 'carried by the other shaft section, guides on the latch supportl under which the cross bar loosely works, and a connection between said cross bar and the latches for operating the 1 latter. y 3. The combination with a steering shaft rotatable about its axis, said shaft being in sections; of a stationary circular rack, adisk mounted on one of the shaft sections, latches 1 carried by the disk and adapted to engage the rack, guides on the disk, a cross bar carf f ried by the other shaft section, and 'worlnng m the guides, and a connection between the and enga eable by the cross bar, and stops cross bar and the latches for actuating the, on the dis between which the cross bar oplatter. -crates. v

4. The combination with a steering shaft, In testimony whereof I ax my signature 5 said shaft being in sections; of a stationary in presence of two witnesses.

latch keeper, a disk carried by one of the ALPHA A WAITE shaft sections, a cross bar carried by -the other shaft section, latches carried by the Witnesses: disk and havin arms extending on oppo- ZENE G. WAIT, 10 site sides of the ast-mentioned shaft section Lois WILSON. 

